I am watching this thread with great interest.  I am a college senior and
am applying to musicology programs right now as the possible alternative
to my family background (go to law/med school and live the good life...).
I have been highly intrigued since high school with teaching at that level,
for a number of reasons.  First, you get to know the kids much better than
professors get to know intro to music classes.  Second, you aren't just
catering to the "rich white & doing all right" crowd (I go to a preppy
liberal arts college).  Third, you can be the first "great" teacher to
which they are exposed.  I think most people hold a special place in their
development for that enlightening first teacher.  So, getting them early
seems to be an underrated goal for the teacher.  Anyhow, the place I would
see myself would be in, say teaching upper level history and introduction
to music (for whatever schools still have these classes!).

The drawbacks to doing such a thing (frustration, hating working for the
government, kids not responsive, kids not mature, etc.  ad inf.) we all
know.  I'm a pretty dedicated guy, so the "kids not responsive or mature"
problem is my concern.  So, the question I have is:  has anyone ever played
Brahms' Piano Quintet, Sym.  #1, Beethoven's 7th, or any other such totally
riveting and incredible piece, lights off, etc., for high school students?
Are they unresponsive? A friend did that for me in my first two years of
college with the music up pretty loud, and it struck pretty deep, but I
was also pretty clearly ready for it (and had grown up in a CM family).
At some level, I just can't see how someone can't be totally blown away
by the Piano Quintet's scherzo.

Robert Shaw